How can I create a zip file? Here's how

ZIP files, often referred to as ZIP archives, are used to reduce the size of files and archive them on your computer. We explain how to properly create a ZIP file in our guide for Mac and Windows PC.

Creating a ZIP file in Windows

A ZIP file is a file format used to compress files or entire folders. Since creating a ZIP file significantly reduces the size of the files, ZIP files are mainly used to archive files on the PC or to send larger amounts of data by e-mail. If you have a computer that uses Windows as the operating system, please proceed as follows to create a ZIP file:

1. To convert a single file into a ZIP file, please right-click on it to open the context menu.
2. In the context menu, then click on the "Send to" item and select "ZIP compressed folder" to generate a ZIP file at the same location.
3. If you want to zip several files at the same time, this is done fastest by moving all files into a folder beforehand and then convert it into a ZIP folder by selecting "Send to" > "ZIP compressed folder".

How to create a ZIP file on the Mac

If you use a Mac instead of a Windows computer, it is also possible to zip files and folders on it. For this, you do not need any additional programs, but can perform the compression with on-board tools. To create a ZIP file, first select the files to be zipped, right-click to open the context menu and click on the "Compress objects" option.